TOH Summer Seminar - Forged in Fire: How Mining Shaped the History of Norway

The story of mining in Norway entails a long history of extracting minerals from bogs and also from deep underground. The story involves Royalty, Sami, imported Germans, the Statue of Liberty, harsh conditions, and warfare in a land rich with mineral deposits. The earliest evidence of mining in Norway began in the Stone Age when greenstone found along the Western coast was used to make adze and other tools. In the Iron Age, bog iron was smelted and formed to make household items, agricultural implements, weapons, and armor. Use of bog iron continued into the Viking Age to build light, flexible, and seaworthy ships. The vast quantities of copper that were found in Røros in the Early Modern Era were mined for 333 years, while the 80-plus silver mines in pre-industrial Kongsberg made up the largest mining area in Norway. In the 21st-century, Norway's potential for exploration of deep-sea mining is highly controversial. What will the future hold for Norway, one of the wealthiest countries in the world?

Tickets $40 - $45 if purchased after May 15